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CHAPTER 08
“You stupid girl. The sun is already high—how dare you show up only now?”
The sharp, thorny words came from a red-haired boy.
With clear green eyes, he was unmistakably Elufe’s older brother—Elforten.
‘So this is what they meant by the “Clear-Eyed Madman.”’
I had seen Elforten a few times while playing the game. He wasn’t a particularly important character, but some users liked him thanks to his surprisingly handsome face.
“May I sit here?”
I smiled kindly and sat down beside Elforten.
I had deliberately chosen a seat far away from the Count. But at that, Elforten’s face flushed red and he began to throw a fit.
“You’re trying to mess with me, aren’t you?!”
“…Of course not.”
“Father changed your seat last month. Your seat is over there.”
He pointed to the chair across from him. Judging by his irritated expression, that original seat didn’t seem so bad.
“Yes, I remember. I feel reassured knowing I have you as my older brother.”
I acted as calm and composed as possible so as not to reveal that I’d lost my memory. Judging by the glare Elforten shot me, I must’ve really gotten on his nerves.
“A letter came from the Imperial Palace. Thanks to that, the matter from the Princess’s birthday celebration was resolved in agreement with His Majesty.”
“Father, you must punish that rude girl!”
Elforten pushed the issue, demanding that the incident at the palace not be overlooked. I could only swallow dryly.
“I said it’s been taken care of, Elforten.”
The Count of Inferna wore the infamous expression of someone said to crush even birds mid-flight.
Glancing at Elforten, I could see from his eyes that he had more to say. But letting him continue would only make things tenser.
“Thank you, Father. I’m relieved to know everything’s been resolved.”
Only after hearing my voice did the Count look away from Elforten and turn his head. He casually threw a letter from the desk in my direction. I caught the paper in a daze and skimmed over the strange-looking characters.
Curiously enough, I could understand everything written, as if it were perfectly translated for me.
“Assigning the Count’s daughter as the prince’s companion… Companion?”
The message was clear: I was being assigned as a conversation partner to the second prince, Rekanon. Shocked, I looked up, and the Count said nonchalantly,
“You’ll enter the palace in three weeks. Once you do, make sure to offer your thanks to His Highness the Second Prince.”
I blinked at the Count, who offered no further explanation.
‘Is the story already going off track?’
In the original plot, there was never any mention of a “companion” role. And Elufe only became a candidate for royal consort after her coming-of-age ceremony—not at age eleven.
While I was stunned by how suddenly everything had changed, the Count continued, indifferent to my confusion.
“It’s not the position we wanted, but it’s not bad either. Use this opportunity to completely captivate the prince—so much so that no other noble lady could even dream of comparing.”
‘So he’s basically telling me to seduce the young prince and make him my future husband, huh?’
“Father, if it’s to serve as His Highness’s companion, then let me go instead!”
Elforten’s face lit up with genuine desire. But the Count gave him a steely glare, his decision clearly made.
“That matter is settled.”
“I am the firstborn son of House Inferna. I am far more suitable to serve His Highness.”
Looking at persistent Elforten, I realized if I didn’t at least pretend to back down, he would pester me for the rest of my life.
So I reluctantly nodded and said,
“Since my brother wishes it so badly, I’m willing to yield this opportunity.”
At my words, Elforten clenched his teeth in rage, displeased for reasons I couldn’t begin to guess.
He looked like a starving hyena waiting for a carcass—petty and vicious.
“I’m the only true blood of House Inferna. If the Imperial family knew that—”
“Silence that mouth!”
Before he could finish, the Count shouted, his eyes ablaze, and glared at Elforten.
Startled, Elforten froze, then glanced at me with venom in his eyes.
I had assumed we were just ordinary siblings, but that glare held such hatred that anyone would mistake us for enemies, not family.
‘He seriously hates me…’
I looked over to the Count, who said nothing in response.
The consequences of what I had recklessly done yesterday—believing everything was just a dream—were now returning to haunt me.
‘At this rate, I really am going to the palace as a conversation partner…’
Based on what I’d seen of the emperor yesterday, life at the palace wouldn’t be easy. I wasn’t eager about it at all.
And considering Elufe’s terrible reputation and her role as a villainess, her survival was already on thin ice.
‘Maybe I should run away before the main story begins.’
Elforten clenched his fists and spoke again, his voice full of poison.
“That girl will definitely bring shame to the great House Inferna. As heir to the family, I absolutely cannot allow her to enter the palace.”
SMACK.
Suddenly, the Count struck Elforten across the face.
His eyes widened in disbelief, tearing up, his spirit broken.
Meanwhile, the Count looked down at his reddened palm with a cold face and said to me,
“Elufe, you will one day become the prince’s wife. If anyone dares call you a ‘girl’ with contempt, forgive no one—regardless of who they are.”
Even without asking, it was easy to tell what was going on.
The Count clearly intended to make me a puppet as crown princess, while Elforten resented me for receiving his father’s support.
“Yes, Father.”
“In a few days, you’ll enter the palace to serve as His Highness’s conversation partner. Fulfill your duties well.”
…If I said no now, would he slap me too?
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I returned to my bedroom in a daze. The tension had barely eased.
The same maid from earlier greeted me cheerfully while cleaning.
“You’re back?”
“…Yes.”
“You really are going to the palace, aren’t you?”
Her voice was laced with sorrow, making me tilt my head slightly. Was she close to Elufe before?
“Well, that’s how it turned out. I’ve been appointed as His Highness’s companion.”
Upon hearing that, the maid collapsed to the floor as if the sky had fallen.
She looked even more shocked than I did—the one actually being sent to the palace.
“Then… I won’t be your personal maid anymore?”
“Well, I’ll still need a personal maid when I return to the mansion. You’ll take care of me then.”
At that, the girl let out a small sigh of relief and gathered herself again.
She looked proud, like she was honored to be assigned to me. I figured I should probably remember her name.
“Please… when you return, make sure to designate me—Luna—as your personal maid again.”
Ah, so her name is Luna.
I loosened the tight corset squeezing my waist and began chatting with her.
“So, does the master hope I’ll fall in love with the prince?”
As if.
“There’s no need to fall in love. He believes if His Highness desires the throne, he’ll propose the engagement himself.”
In the original plot, Rekanon had uncovered Inferna’s scheme and used his engagement to Elufe to gain intel—eventually marrying her.
The Count, unaware it was a trap, tried to use Rekanon to start a rebellion. Naturally, the entire family was destroyed.
“No way… You’re already dazzling, but once people see your true beauty, they’ll all fall for you.”
Luna chattered on like she knew who I really was. I just stared at her, then let out a soft laugh.
She didn’t realize my “true self” was the villainess of the novel.
“The chance that His Highness will fall for me is zero.”
If the story progressed as planned, I would become the prince’s wife a few years later.
After all, I’d already married Rekanon once in the game. But if I followed that story, I would eventually die after trying to poison the princess, Roellin.
‘Even if I don’t do it, someone else probably will.’
I didn’t want to become the prince’s puppet wife—and I definitely didn’t want to be an obstacle to Roellin’s happy ending.
“Do you… not want to be the princess?”
Luna’s question made my shoulders flinch. In the original, Elufe desperately wanted to be the princess—so I wasn’t sure if it was safe to say I didn’t.
“Maybe you should ask the master again? You never know.”
She looked genuinely worried. I suppose from her perspective, sending an eleven-year-old to talk marriage before even having a coming-of-age ceremony must’ve felt wrong.
‘Ugh. What’s the point? If they say jump, I have to jump anyway.’
I closed my eyes quietly and sighed.
